Good Grief! "G" songs!

Here they are (as indicated by the title of this article, they both start with "G"):

"Gold" by The Lone Bellow: Even bands who have stuck to the folk-rock sound for longer than others, such as The Lone Bellow, are hopping aboard the electro-pop bandwagon now. Go figure, eh? The Lone Bellow's latest song, "Gold," sounds nothing like what their other material has so far. The title might be an allusion to drugs, also, since the song addresses the problem of opioid addiction. "Gold," then, might be opium itself? It's as good a guess as any! With five records now under their belt, I'm not sure why The Lone Bellow abandoned the folk-rock ship so suddenly, but I guess if it works for their fans, it works for me, too. It's just a little disappointing for me to see this shift away from guitar and towards the synthesizer for someone who has been a guitarist for 22 years now. 

"Grace" by Marcus Mumford (from Mumford and Sons): To reference the title of one of Mumford and Sons' earlier songs, M & S ended up being "Hopeless Wanderers" from their third album onwards in terms of finding a suitable sound. Thankfully, lead singer (and namesake), Marcus, seems to have found his way back to folk-rock, albeit with a more roots-y John Mellencamp-ish tinge, as opposed to the more Celtic-influenced folk sound he started with. The lyrics to the song don't seem too different from what Marcus attempted with his "Sons," revolving largely around the quest for redemption in the guise of a love song, but its sound offers something that simultaneously nostalgic and fresh for Mumford's longtime fans! 

Songs for the day before Halloween 2019!!

here they are:


“Blind Leading the Blind” by Mumford and Sons: Midway through the 2010’s, Mumford and Sons decided they were tired of people pigeonholing them into the folk-rock category, so they got more of a “rock” sound with songs like “The Wolf”. Just as it seemed like M & S were finally starting to settle on a more acoustic based sound again towards the end of the decade, the quartet surprise us yet again by releasing what sounds like a U2 song with a banjo in the chorus! That’s right, in “Blind Leading the Blind”, Mumford and Sons’ two worlds collide! It seems to have done the trick for much of their fanbase, who favor their decision to meld all their previous sounds into one. In keeping with the theme of many songs from the mid to late 2010’s, “Blind Leading the Blind” laments the current generation, even opening with the words, “My generation’s stuck in the mirror”, immediately followed by “forget about ‘poor’ ‘cause I don’t like the word”. We are indeed a selfish, deceptive, and all-around desperate bunch of people these days, aren’t we?


“Misery” by Michigander: “Michigander”, in case you were wondering, simply means “person from Michigan”, just like “Californian” means “person from California”, and yes, they actually do hail from Michigan. It’s not just a clever name. Their debut song, “Misery”, gives me vibes that are similar to Snow Patrol or early Coldplay, with just a hint of latter-day Cage the Elephant tossed in for good measure. It is a short song without a lot of lyrical depth that talks about a breakup, as can be inferred from the title. A pleasant song nonetheless, though.


“Surefire” by Wilderado: Perhaps the best way to describe this song’s sound is “psychedelic country-rock”. It has a spaced out yet calm vibe similar to Kurt Vile (and his band, The War on Drugs). Fitting with its strung out, blissful, hippie vibe, Wilderado’s “Surefire” has a lot of nature related lyrics. “Surefire”, in this case, is not just a phrase used to describe something that is bound to happen, but a reference to the actual fire of the sun as it sets. The moon, the stars, bears, and forests are all mentioned in the first verse. Groovy, man!


“Van Horn” by Saint Motel: What exactly IS a Van Horn?! Is it like a Van Halen, but with horns in it?! No, it’s actually a town in Texas, which might explain the song’s “spicy twang” sound in the beginning. From there, it turns into the typical indie-dance-pop style of Saint Motel, but that is certainly not a bad thing. Saint Motel have been winners among the alt and adult alt crowds with “My Type” and “Move”, both of which were super catchy! “Van Horn” continues in this direction, creating yet another earworm in the Saint Motel catalog. The song actually has a clearer narrative than their other two hits, centering around the lead singer hesitating over whether to get to know the object of his affections better. As for me, I wanna get to know this song better!

New songs for February 27th 2019

here they are:


"Beloved" by Mumford and Sons: If you thought Mumford and Sons' Fall 2018 hit, "Guiding Light", harkened back to their original sound, then you're in for a real treat with "Beloved", which sounds even more like a "Babel" outtake than "Guiding Light" did! The song hovers closer to folk-rock than it does alt-pop, like the early M & S songs, and the poetic and nearly Shakespearean content of "Beloved"'s lyrics is a nice way to welcome fans back into the M & S circle. A few lyrics of the song are what some might call "ambiguously Christian" ("She says the Lord has a plan/but admits it's pretty hard to understand"), but it's not that different than most of the other Mumford and Sons lyrics that straddle the line between religious sincerity and the doubt that gives such songs "indie cred." The only real disappointing part is when they add more synthetic instrumentation in the middle, but on the whole, that does not ruin what is otherwise a fantastic song!


"Boom" by X Ambassadors: "Boom" is a song that last for just 2 and a half minutes and whose title is just 4 letters, but that does not stop it from being an aptly explosive song! This might just be the first X Ambassadors song to rely more on bass than it does on guitar (though you can hear some funky guitar licks during the chorus). "Renegades", "Unsteady" and "Ahead of Myself" all focused on acoustic guitar, and "Low Life" was an unusually blues-y electric guitar song, which gives "Boom" distinction among the other songs in X Ambassadors' catalog. The lyrics are pretty simplistic ("my feet go boom boom boom/my heart beats boom boom boom", etc.), but that doesn't stop "Boom" from being a catchy song!


"Clap Your Hands" by Galactic: Blues and jazz influence are defining features of Galactic's music. They are still present on their latest song, "Clap Your Hands", but they seem to be heading in more of a pop music direction than their previous efforts have suggested here. Thankfully they haven't completely shifted gears. There is still plenty for old school R & B fans and fans of New Orleans jazz to get out of "Clap Your Hands". Fitting for the title of the song, "Clap Your Hands" does contain a lot of clapping, which is probably what gives it more of a pop flavor than most Galactic songs have, but the band are still as jammin' as ever in this one!


"For Real" by Tom Petty: Legends never die! Last summer, a posthumous Petty song was released called "Keep A Little Soul", which sounded like a rock song from the early '80s because that's essentially what it was: an outtake of a previously unreleased Tom Petty song from the '80s. "For Real" sounds like it was done a bit later, and has a bit less of a rock and roll factor than "Keep A Little Soul" did, but it has nevertheless been soaring up the adult alt radio charts within a little over a week. "For Real" is a song that seems to reflect on Tom Petty's life and career in a very poignant manner. The fact that it sounds like a more recent song might be because that's what it probably is. Petty died 2 years ago, and this is more than likely one of the last songs he ever recorded. There seems to be a painfully sad self awareness that Petty has about the last moments of his life in "For Real", which can be compared to other recent post-mortem rock songs like David Bowie's "Lazarus" and The Cranberries' "All Over Now".


"Jingle And Go" by Ryan Bingham: Ryan Bingham is known for his country/folk sounding songs, like "The Weary Kind", but the songs of his that make the biggest impression on me contain a bit more of a rock and roll sound, like the frantic "Heart of Rhythm" and the Tom Petty-esque "Radio". On "Jingle And Go", Ryan seems to take a cue or two from The Rolling Stones circa the late '60s/early '70s. Imagine Mick Jagger's famous rock group with more of a country-rock sound, and you've pretty much got "Jingle And Go" in a nutshell. Eclectic rock guitarist Charlie Sexton provides "Jingle And Go" with its freewheelin' rock and roll sound.


"Ruby" by Strand of Oaks: Strand of Oaks' lead singer, Timothy Showalter, claims that "Ruby" is the happiest song he's ever written! That's pretty something coming from someone who did angst filled songs like "Goshen '97" and "Radio Kids". "Ruby" does not contain any angst at all, and is the softest song so far in Strand of Oaks' catalog. Ruby is also not the name of a person, but a personification of Showalter's past. The song seems to be a yearning for nostalgia for the most part. Given how jaded Strand of Oaks' material usually sounds, the song provides a much needed breath of fresh air the band has probably needed for quite a while now!

New songs for September 26th 2018

here they are:


"Caesar Rock" by Paul McCartney: In spite of this song's somewhat trippy sound, it is not a "Magical Mystery Tour" or "Sgt. Pepper" outtake. "Caesar Rock" is Macca's own! The reverberation of the background instruments, the crispness of the acoustic guitars, the "Revolver"-esque in-and-out vibes of the accompanying electric guitars, and Sir Paul's commanding vocals make this song one worth the listen to. I can't help but wonder if the title of this song is a play on words. Paul sounds like he's saying, "She's a rock", during the chorus, even though it's actually, "Caesar rock". There has long been a rumor among the Beatles fandom that fellow Beatle John Lennon used the phrase "Norwegian wood" to sound like "knowing she would", so ya never know!


"Guiding Light" by Mumford and Sons: Mumford and Sons' last album received mixed reviews, largely because they were going for more of a "rock" sound than their previous albums. The single-only song, "There Will Be Time", marked a return to the Mumfords' acoustic roots, and could be said to be a forerunner to their latest song, "Guiding Light", which also focuses on their initial folk-rock sound. The trademark M & S banjo might not be present, but the earnestness and the softness that people associate the band with are both here on "Guiding Light". Unlike their 2015 song, "Believe, "Guiding Light" has received largely positive feedback on YouTube so far. Welcome back, boys! We missed ya!

New songs for April 27th, 2016

here they are:


"Best Kept Secret" by case, lang, and veirs: What happens when three solo female performers of folk-rock get together to form a group?! Well, they become case, lang, and veirs, likely written all in lowercase because k.d. lang writes her name that way (she is the "lang" in this group). The other two are Neko Case and Laura Veirs, both folk-rockers of the indie era. Case is from the state of Washington, Veirs is from the indie-nerd town of Portland, Oregon, and k.d. lang isn't even from the States, yet their song "Best Kept Secret" isn't about any of those places. Instead, it is an ode to someone who lives in none other than my hometown, Los Angeles. More specifically, it is about someone who lives in hipster haven, Silverlake, which is where my dad currently resides. Laura Veirs is the lead vocalist for this track. She projects her quirky Portlandian ways onto another city full of neo-bohemians in "Best Kept Secret" (which, I guess, is no longer a secret!)


"There Will Be Time" by Mumford and Sons (featuring Baaba Maal): This is not a song from Mumford and Sons' latest album, and is instead a song that is currently being released only as a single. Times have not been easy for M & S, for although they have been well-received by general audiences, they have not been taken very seriously by "real" rock fans who probably think that rock history ended with the death of Kurt Cobain in 1994. Thankfully, "There Will Be Time" has gotten an overwhelmingly positive response so far on YouTube. Perhaps part of the reason why is because it features Mumford and Sons going in a new direction with their music while still keeping relatively true to the sound they've become known for. In regards to how the song sounds, all I can say is that some member(s) of M & S must be big Paul Simon fans. A few years ago, they covered the Simon and Garfunkel song, "The Boxer", and this time around, they're going for a sound that is evocative of Paul Simon's "Graceland" album. "There Will Be Time" features African musician Baaba Maal on backing vocals, making it even more like a "Graceland" song than it already seems to be!


"Trouble" by Cage the Elephant: Cage got their rock 'n' roll groove back in fall of last year with "Mess Around"! It felt like that song was never gonna go away, but like all songs, its popularity eventually faded away, and a bit quicker than I thought it would, too. In its place is the much calmer, more dreamy sounding song, "Trouble". The song seems to be about the hope for love to right all the wrongs in the lead singer's romantic life. Amidst both the weariness of the lyrical theme and the lightness of its sound, though, there is still some cleverness within "Trouble" during the part when Matt Shulz says that "the wicked get no rest", a reference to CTE's first big hit, "Ain't No Rest For the Wicked".

New songs for November 11th, 2015

here they are:


"Ditmas" by Mumford and Sons: After the faux-Coldplay sound of "Believe" and the surprisingly rockin' sound of "The Wolf", I now have at least a glimmer of hope that Mumford and Sons haven't QUITE lost their signature sound with their third single of the year, "Ditmas". Essentially, "Ditmas" is a folk-rock tune using electric instruments. Think Kings of Leon trying to do a Decemberists song and you have the blueprint for "Ditmas"' sound. As per usual with Mumford and Sons, lovelorn yet soul searching lyrics dominate "Ditmas"' theme. Perhaps not everyone liked M & S' constant use of banjo for their first two albums, but I did, and I kinda hope they go back to it for their next album if they decide to do one.


"Gone" by Jr. Jr. (formerly known as Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.): Although Dale Earnhardt Jr. has no problem with Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.'s music, I guess someone closely associated with the single-juniored Dale Earnhardt decided that they didn't like the idea of a double-juniored Dale Earnhardt, so now they are simply known by the more redundant and mysterious moniker, "Jr. Jr." Now that I've gotten that out of the way, "Gone" recalls the punctuated whistling and neo-folk-rock sound of their first big song, "Simple Girl", while incorporating the use of the more electronic instruments that their other songs tend to use. "Gone" is also a bit more bittersweet than most of their material, containing a deeper message as well ("I can't be everything you want me to be"). Jr. Jr. may have lost having a reason for their name, but in the process they have gained more emotional depth. Even if their name one day dwindles down simply to the letter "J", I'll still be looking forward to what they have in store!


"Magnets" by Disclosure (featuring Lorde): Lorde has always had a bit of a mysterious, nocturnal aura about her, but the New Zealand adolescent really makes her inner moonlight shine with her latest tune, "Magnets". The combination of minor key melodies and pulsating dance beats make the song dark yet alluring, as is the song's chorus of "let's embrace the point of no return". The song seems to be about a love affair gone wrong and its vengeful aftermath. Perhaps it is time now to add Lorde to the ever expanding list of young women that Stevie Nicks has influenced with the vengeful romance themes that dominated Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours".


"Pretty Pimpin'" by Kurt Vile: Can a song be angst-ridden and silly at the same time?! Well, in Kurt Vile's "Pretty Pimpin'", that seems to be just what is happening! The song's theme seems to be about waking up in the morning and not recognizing who you are, as demonstrated by lyrics like "Didn't recognize the man in the mirror, then I laughed and said, 'Oh silly me, it's just me'", and yet again when he refers to himself as "that stupid clown in the bathroom sink" and asks who that "clown" is. Yes, the overall sound of this song is rather brooding, but the song's self-deprecation really wins me over!


"Roots" by Imagine Dragons: There are many Imagine Dragons songs I can name with a synthesizer sound, but "Roots" might just be the first one in which the keyboard sounds a bit more "organic", although the rhythm section in the song sounds more synthetic than usual. All three of the songs from Imagine Dragons' latest album that have become singles (this one, "I Bet My Life", and "Shots") have rather dark themes, but this is one in which the sound actually fits the theme since "Roots" is written in minor key, unlike its predecessors. The lyric in the song that defines it the most is probably "had to lose my way to know which road to take". However, there are some high points about the song, too. First of all, "Roots" is pretty catchy. Second of all, it seems as though quite a few people (myself included) first heard this song in the premiere episode of the new "Muppets" series, so it's not as though Imagine Dragons are lacking in their sense of humor!


"10,000 Emerald Pools" by Borns: Wow, that's a lot of emerald pools! Don't think I've ever seen that many, and I don't know anyone who has, either! Borns had a ridiculously catchy summer hit this year with "Electric Love", and I can see why "10,000 Emerald Pools" is currently following in its footsteps. One thing that draws me immediately into "10,000 Emerald Pools" is the rhythm of the bassline, which has a suspiciously similar sound here to songs like "Gimme Some Lovin'" and "25 Or 6 to 4", both of which can be said to be "jazz-rock" songs (Is that what Borns were trying to do here?!) Apart from the bass, the rhythm of the song seems to be almost reggae driven, and the guitars here seem to transition between background noise, electric, and acoustic. Dive into a swirling neo-psychedelic whirpool of electronic sound with "10,000 Emerald Pools"! Try not to count all the pools, though, you'll be sorely disappointed.


"When, When" by Civil Twilight: "When, When"?! Why, "Now, Now", of course! What better time, time than now, now?! Well, actually, it seems as though Civil Twilight wanted to travel back in time to 1986 here to make an update of Paul Simon's "Graceland" for the indie-pop generation. As interesting and mysterious as the title of "When, When" sounds, it is actually just a question the lead singer asks the object of his affection as to when he's going to see her again. OK, so the theme of this song doesn't even measure up half as much to the deep, soulful themes of the "Graceland" tunes, but it's still pretty neat hearing "Graceland" influenced percussion in this song.

New songs for April 15th, 2015

here they are:


"Dead Fox" by Courtney Barnett: Courtney's first two big songs seemed to be on opposite extremes from one another!! "Avant Gardener" was mellow, spaced out slacker rock at its finest, yet "Pedestrian At Best" is one of the rawest, meanest, and hardest rocking songs I've ever reviewed on this blog!! Her third big song, "Dead Fox", appears to be somewhere in between the two. It's more upbeat than "Avant Gardener" but not as earth shatteringly angry as "Pedestrian At Best". "Dead Fox" sounds a bit like a Pretenders song circa the early '80s, only with Courtney Barnett's deadpan vocals taking the place of the more deep, sublime vocals of Chrissie Hynde. "Dead", in the title of this song, appears to be a metaphor, as in "you are dead to me", given how the chorus of the song ("if you can't see me, I can't see you") is basically about choosing to ignore someone you'd rather not be dealing with.


"Gates of Dawn" by Heartless B*st*rds: This band doesn't exactly live up to its name (which is kind of a GOOD thing), but that's because they were actually named after a question on a game show that asked what the name of Tom Petty's backing group was (one of the choices was "Tom Petty and The Heartless B*st*rds"). That being said, it's probably no mere coincidence that a lot of Heartless B*st*rds' songs sound like '90s era Tom Petty songs, including their latest song, "Gates of Dawn". A bit of the more anthemic side of Tom Petty gets mixed into this song as well, which starts out acoustic, and steadily adds more and more electric guitar as it climaxes. Nonetheless, "Gates of Dawn" still manages to be a somewhat laid back song.


"The Wolf" by Mumford and Sons: Like "Believe" from two months ago, this is yet another Mumford and Sons song that takes electric guitar over acoustic. However, "The Wolf" doesn't seem to be striving for an "epic" adult contemporary sound along the lines of Coldplay, and instead opts for something that sounds more like Kings of Leon mixed with Spoon. It also maintains a fast, electric sound throughout, instead of meddling between the two the way "Believe" did. The song still contains the typical, soul-searching Mumford lyrics ("Hold gaze my love, you know I want to let it go", "Been wandering for days, how you felt me slip your mind"). Here's hoping this song receives more airplay than their last one (which received quite a bit of airplay, but I like this one better). Perhaps I should be careful what I wish for?!


"Things Happen" by Dawes: Between this song and the last one I reviewed, all I can say is that Kings of Leon must be either incredibly proud or incredibly weirded out that they have now spawned so many imitators! "Things Happen" still maintains the roots-y feel Dawes typically go for, but the guitar appears to sound fuzzier and more echo-y than it usually is on their material. The lyrics of "Things Happen" seem to present a "Where do we go from here?" frame of mind for the listeners. This being Dawes' fourth album, perhaps it was hard for them to come up with topics for a new song. The chorus of the song ends with the empty, mystifyingly worded conclusion that "things happen, that's all they ever do". Wait, things do things OTHER than just "happen"?!

new songs for March 11th, 2015

here they are:


"Believe" by Mumford and Sons: "Believe It Or Not" is more like it!! I have never seen a more split reaction to a Mumford and Sons song than I have for this one! People who like the band tend to think that removing banjos and adding electric guitars and atmospheric synths is a bad move for them, and people who don't like them seem to think that they're doing even worse than they did before! Then there are those fans of the band, such as myself, who still like what they're doing. However, I have to side a bit with the more disappointed section of the fandom here, as I do think this song pretty much smacks of trying too hard to sound like something you're not. Mumford and Sons are not Coldplay, and nor are they Kings of Leon. The first half of "Believe" sounds a lot like a Coldplay song, while the second half does sound a bit like KOL. "I don't even know if I believe anymore", Marcus Mumford states during the chorus of the song. Marcus, at this point, sadly, neither do I. An A for effort, though, and as changes in sound go, this wasn't the worst choice, I just think it could have been a little better.


"Shots" by Imagine Dragons: Though Imagine Dragons are a thousand times more pop oriented than Mumford and Sons, at LEAST Imagine Dragons' sophomore album contains songs that stick to a sound that is suitable for them! One noticeable difference between the first and second Imagine Dragons albums is how their second album has a bit more of an audible guitar sound. The influence by folk music is a bit less obvious on "Shots" than it is on most Imagine Dragons songs, but the mix between dance-pop and rock music is still palpable, and makes it sound a bit like a Killers song to me. The lyrics to "Shots" are a bit remorseful, especially the opening line ("I'm sorry for everything, for everything I've done"), but the fact that they are willing to wed such painful lyrics to such a catchy tune is a winning combination to me!

New songs for November 12th, 2014

here they are:


"Beggin' For Thread" by Banks: This song is basically what it would be like if a Florence and The Machine song were used in some sort of crime drama. Catchy, somewhat quirky indie-pop, but with a rather murky, mysterious undertone. In spite of the plural noun moniker Banks has, she is but one girl, not multiple people. This is the type of the song that just begs to get under your skin at some point, with subtly scathing lyrics comparable to the typical Fiona Apple song. One more thing I should mention, Banks hails from L.A., my hometown!


"Kansas City" by New Basement Tapes: Not to be confused with the '50s song, "Kansas City", though before I actually heard this song, I thought it might have been, since none other than Bob Dylan is a part of the new folk-rock supergroup known as New Basement Tapes! Dylan is the only oldster in the band, though, the rest of which consists of some of his many heirs to the throne, such as Mumford and Sons' Marcus Mumford (who takes the lead on this particular track), My Morning Jacket's Jim James, and Dawes' Taylor Goldsmith. "Kansas City" itself isn't exactly Mumford-esque, though, and takes more after the roots-y folk-rock fuzz of My Morning Jacket and Dawes. All four of the guys in the band have a rather rustic sound to their music, so it makes sense that "Kansas City" is one of those "driving back home from the freeway" kind of songs.


"Stay With Me" by Ryan Adams: Ryan Adams has done what I never thought he would do for both of the songs I've heard so far from his latest album. He has gone totally '80s!! I'm more accustomed to hearing Ryan with a late '60s/early '70s folk-rock influenced sound, but it is nonetheless interesting to see who he has chosen to influence him on his latest album. On the summer adult alt smash, "Gimme Something Good", he emulated Tom Petty. For "Stay With Me", his sound is even closer to mainstream rock, with a sound that matches the kings of rock 'n' roll themselves, The Rolling Stones (though "Stay With Me" specifically recalls the way The Stones sounded in the '80s). Brace yourselves, people, someday soon your local classic rock station is gonna grab this song and play it by mistake!

The Top 20 Songs of 2013!!!

And now, folks, the moment you've all been waiting for!! The Top 20 songs of 2013!! Here they are:


20. "Walk Us Uptown" by Elvis Costello (featuring The Roots)
19. "A New Life" by Jim James (from My Morning Jacket)
18. "King And Lionheart" by Of Monsters and Men
17. "Rumble And Sway" by Jamie N. Commons
16. "Little Numbers" by Boy
15. "Shake" by The Head and The Heart
14. "Another Is Waiting" by The Avett Brothers
13. "Gotta Get Over" by Eric Clapton
12. "Lightning Bolt" by Jake Bugg
11. "Babel" by Mumford and Sons
10. "The Way I Tend to Be" by Frank Turner
9. "Entertainment" by Phoenix
8. "The Ceiling" by Wild Feathers
7. "February Seven" by The Avett Brothers
6. "Sirens" by Pearl Jam
5. "Out of My League" by Fitz and The Tantrums
4. "From A Window Seat" by Dawes
3. "Recovery" by Frank Turner
2. "Supersoaker" by Kings of Leon

annndddd...the number one song of 2013 is.....


"LOVER OF THE LIGHT" BY MUMFORD AND SONS!!! :D :D :D


Happy Holidays and a Great New Year everyone!! It's been great blogging this year! See ya next year!! ;)

New songs for August 21st, 2013

here they are:


“All Things All At Once” by Tired Pony: When Snow Patrol’s Gary Lightbody first formed the indie rock supergroup, Tired Pony, with R.E.M.’s Peter Buck, their plaintive song, “Dead American Writers”, was an adult alt smash hit! From that point on, though, I thought it would be their only hit, as there was no other song from the album that became quite as popular (and plus, I thought Tired Pony was one of those “too good to last” groups). Turns out I was wrong. Tired Pony now has a second hit on their hands, “All Things All At Once”. It is a bittersweet song, much like “Dead American Writers” was, though the subject matter is more direct this time around. Instead of centering around deceased poets and authors, “All Things All At Once” is a song about the ever popular subject of unrequited love, a subject that Tired Pony melts into lyrical tears and makes their own!


“Fire And Brimstone” by Trombone Shorty: The title of the song may be a reference to hell, but Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews’ blues/jazz/rock song, “Fire And Brimstone”, is pure musical heaven for those who like their music to sound soulful but gritty! Andrews claims in the chorus of the song that “everything that comes out of (his) trombone” is “fire and brimstone”. Perhaps that’s just a clever excuse to come up with a memorable rhyme, but another meaning to take out of that line is how “hot” the music of Trombone Shorty is. The musical equivalent of a jalapeño pepper! Just one taste of the sound of “Fire And Brimstone” is as steamy and passionate as it is catchy!



“Hopeless Wanderer” by Mumford and Sons: Many Mumford and Sons songs have become instant hits in the 2010’s, but “Hopeless Wanderer” marks the first time (to my knowledge) that a music video by the band has become so popular! So what is it about the video to “Hopeless Wanderer” that has so many people hooked on it?! Three words – “Saturday Night Live”!! Well, kinda. SNL alumni Jason Sudeikis and Will Forte appear to be posing as half of the band members in the “Hopeless Wanderer” video. Fellow comedian Jason Bateman makes his appearance as another member of the band, and the remaining member is played by Ed Helms. There are some things to be said about the song itself, too. “Hopeless Wanderer” encapsulates just about everything that made me fall in love with the band’s sound when they debuted. Its rhythm is especially captivating, going from a waltz rhythm in the verses to a rock beat in the chorus. The harmonies of the song shine through, as though M & S were a modern-day Crosby, Stills, and Nash, with a banjo replacing the electric guitar (though Mumford and Sons come awfully close to having an electric guitar sound just before the chorus of the song). The video for the song can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rId6PKlDXeU


“Stay Young” by Okkervil River: If this is indeed a song from contemporary folk-rock group, Okkervil River, then why do I keep hearing Simple Minds instead?! Have the Texas indie group suddenly decided to do a “Breakfast Club” tribute?! Nope, they have simply decided to change direction in their sound, after all, it must get rather tiring sticking to one sound after a while. “Stay Young” contains a lot of dueling instruments. Electric guitar and synth battle for lead instrument, while sax and harmonica both vie for the position of top backing instrument. The harmonica sports yet another ‘80s rock influence, this time from U2, as it recalls the sound of “Joshua Tree” songs, such as “Trip Through Your Wires” and “Running to Stand Still”. Not the Okkervil River that any of their fans are used to, but still worth listening to nonetheless.


“The Idiot Kings” by Mike Doughty: If this songs sounds more like the eclectic, Beck-ish alt-pop from Mike Doughty’s days with Soul Coughing than it does like something from his more folk-rock focused solo career, that’s because “The Idiot Kings” is actually a Soul Coughing song that Mike has just released as a solo effort. There’s definitely more of a ‘90s dance-rock feel to “The Idiot Kings” than most of what Mike did away from Soul Coughing. The title alone to this song recalls Mike’s dry, clever sense of humor. Apparently he always wanted the song to become a hit in the same way “Circles” and “Super Bon Bon” did during the mid ‘90s, though it took nearly 15 years for “The Idiot Kings” to become noticed the way he wanted it to, and he credits part of its slow but steady trail to success to hip-hop producer, Good Goose. There’s absolutely nothing idiotic about “The Idiot Kings”, but the song does have its “king-like” qualities, in that this song RULES!!


“Wake Me Up” by Avicii: Uh-VEECH-eye?! Not quite sure how to pronounce this guy’s name, but he sure is getting his name out there with “Wake Me Up”, a song that almost seemed like it was destined to be a pop radio hit! “Wake Me Up” starts with a Mumford-esque acoustic guitar hook, but as soon as the beats are dropped about 40 seconds into the song, it just seems like your average pop song. “Mumford and Sons goes clubbin’” doesn’t seem like a very likely scenario, but Avicii has made this possible. Not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing, personally.

Songs for twelve-twelve-twelve!!

We don't have twelve songs this time around, but there are four, and three times that makes twelve! So here goes:


"Call Me the Breeze" by Beth Orton: Not to be confused with the more boogie-woogie style, hard rocking Lynyrd Skynyrd song of the same title, Beth Orton's "Call Me the Breeze" sounds more, well, breezy! It is soft and billowy, like listening to a cloud, and it also shows just how much she has departed from the "folk-tronica" she started out with in her career. "Call Me the Breeze" is just pure and simple folk-rock. No electronic instruments or synthetic drumbeats to distract from the essence of the song here. "Call Me the Breeze" plays out almost like a children's song, with its repetitive "call me the..." verses ("Call me the day, call me the night, call me the dark, call me the light", for instance), interrupted only by its chorus ("hear my call, hello-lo-lo-lo, lo-lo-lo-lo, lo"). Definitely a good song to start out the morning with!


"Lover of the Light" by Mumford and Sons: The third single of 2012 from the unlikely folk-rock sensations Mumford and Sons is, perhaps, unlike any they have ever done! Hearing this song live during their "Gentlemen of the Road" tour was already pretty uplifting, and thankfully, M & S retain the magic of the song for the studio version of it! "Lover of the Light" is the first M & S song to feature a percussion section, and it is also the first song in their catalog that is TRULY "folk-rock", with an electric guitar providing a backbone to their more expected use of acoustic guitar and banjo. "Lover of the Light" has a similar rhythm (and sound, somewhat) to The Dave Matthews Band's "Crash Into Me". Unlike Mr. Matthews' song, "Lover of the Light" is not seductive in any way, shape, or form (for it to be so would be a shock for fans of M & S), and is instead, honest and heartfelt to the very core ("So love the one you hold, and I'll be your goal, to have and to hold, a lover of the light")! The Mumfords continue to amaze me with every song they do, and I hope they will continue in that direction for as long as they can keep a musical career!!


"Maybe On Monday" by Calexico: "Maybe On Monday" is both a sadder song and an edgier song than most of Calexico's material. The electric guitar makes a surprise appearance in this song by a band who is typically more known for their acoustic-y stuff (though "Maybe On Monday" can still be called "folk-rock" nonetheless), and there is no horn solo in the song, which is incredibly unusual for a Calexico composition. The subject matter of the song also leaves a lot of questions floating around in the listener's mind. For instance, why do the opening lyrics ("Woke up on Monday and wrote you a love song/Well the pen stopped and the paper flew out the window, and the notes rang down the road") sound as though Calexico's lead singer is somehow equating a painful relationship with writer's block?! Can't say I know too many songs that are like this one, but that's just all the more reason to like it!


"Twinkle (Little Christmas Lights") by JD McPherson: JD's success among adult alt audiences (particularly with the catchy, Little Richard-esque "North Side Gal"), came as a big surprise (but a darn good one) to listeners everywhere! Perhaps that's why JD felt like the time was right for him to do a Christmas song, even though he's only had two hits so far! The whimsical lyrics and jingle-bell sound of "Twinkle (Little Christmas Lights") recalls a lot of the Phil Spector Christmas songs from the early '60s, but the rhythm of the song, like most of JD's material, is pure '50s rock! Merry Christmas and a rockin' New Year!!

Happy Halloween!! :D

I must say, it's been an interesting year! One post on a leap year, another on the 4th of July, and NOW one on Halloween!! :D Sorry, no "scary" songs this time around, hehe, but I've got three good ones that I think you're gonna like! So here goes.


"Babel" by Mumford and Sons: The Celtic influenced folk-rock quartet known as Mumford and Sons have ruminated on religious themes before ("can you kneel before the king, and say I'm clean?", for instance, from their "White Blank Page" could refer to Jesus for all I know!), but they've never had a song title so far with a religious/biblical reference until now (though they mispronounce "Babel" as "BAY-bul" instead of "BAB-ul"). Given the point of reference here (the Tower of Babel, from which the word "babble" supposedly comes from), I would think that "Babel" might be about problems in terms of communication. This is part of what "Babel" is about, but the meaning behind its lyrics go deeper than that. It is more about the fall of mankind (which can be interpreted from the lyrics, "So come down from your mountain and stand where we've been/You know our breath is weak and our body is dead"), and about trying to reach God directly, but struggling to do so in the process (for which the lyrics, "Press my nose up to the glass around your heart, I should have known I was weaker from the start" are sung). For a band whose first big hit had the "f" word in its chorus, Mumford and Sons are quite an honest, intelligent, and soul searching band (and yes, I even love the song I just referred to by them in that sentence)!!


"Here Comes My Man" by The Gaslight Anthem: A sequel to The Pixies' "Here Comes YOUR Man", perhaps?! 'Fraid not, this song doesn't sound anything close to The Pixies. "Here Comes My Man" is just Brian Fallon and the rest of the members of The Gaslight Anthem doing what they do best - mixing the earnest, heartfelt approach to roots-rock of Bruce Springsteen with the "thinking man's punk rock" sound of The Clash. The Springsteen influence is pretty obvious here, perhaps more so than any other Gaslights song, from the Phil-Spector-goes-rock sound of the percussion to the "sha-la-la"'s in the chorus (all that's missing is a killer sax solo!) As if having Springsteen and The Clash as influences wasn't enough of an old school rock move for The Gaslights, Brian Fallon also takes on an interesting perspective in the lyrics that was previous reserved for people like Joni Mitchell. Much like how Joni sang "I was a free man in Paris", instead of "HE was a free man Paris", Brian also takes on the opposite sex perspective, with lyrics like "Don't you think I knew about all your pretty girlfriends?", and of course, the chorus, in which he sings "here comes MY man", from a woman's point of view to (presumably) another guy. Thank you, Brian Fallon, for bringing lyrical narrative back into music, I appreciate it very much!!


"I Don't Believe A Word You Say" by Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite: So, what happens when rock 'n' roll chameleon Ben Harper teams up with bluesman Charlie Musselwhite?! Powerhouse rock 'n' roll, that's what!! "I Don't Believe A Word You Say" captures the feel of some of the best known classic rock anthems, from its "Mississippi Queen"-ish rhythm, and its combination of hard rock guitars and blues harmonica, which recalls songs like Led Zeppelin's "When the Levee Breaks". The lyrics are repetitive, but in a song in which the main focus is on jamming (for both the guitar AND the harmonica) instead of singing, that shouldn't really matter too much. The song is aiming to please fans of blues music and classic rock, and if it does so, then mission accomplished, and rock on!!

New songs for August 8th, 2012

here they are:


"Give A Little" by Everest: The second song to get attention from indie-pop band Everest, "Give A Little" doesn't have the funky, catchy factor of their previous single, "Let Go", but the unique chord progression of "Give A Little" makes it a memorable song for me to listen to. Some guitar solos are added into the second verse to give "Give A Little" even more of a distinct flavor than it already has. Nothing particularly special about this song lyrically, but the fact that Everest can deliver a song with with more than four chords in only two verses with a sticks-in-your-head hook prove that they can "give" more than just "a little" when they want to carve out a solid song!


"I Will Wait" by Mumford and Sons: More like "I CAN'T Wait"!!! And, really, I can't!! M & S were talking about making a new CD ever since November of last year, and I thought it would come pretty soon after that. The folk-rock quartet teased us with a cover of Simon and Garfunkel's "The Boxer" earlier this year, but that was not on any of their CD's (it was actually a track they lent their vocals to by bluegrass musician Jerry Douglas). So I had to wait 10 long months for Mumford and Sons to release a follow up to their debut CD, "Sigh No More". At long last the wait is over!! The question is, was it worth all that waiting?! Yes, it was!! The band's signature style of delicate harmonies and intense but refreshing banjo playing is 100 % present on "I Will Wait"! Marcus, Ben, Ted, and Winston don't stray a bit from what made people like them initially on this song. They even add muted trumpets in for good measure towards the end of the track like they did on "The Cave" and "Winter Winds". I'm almost too sure this will end up as one of my Top 20 Songs of 2012 come December!! We'll see, though.


"Old Friend" by Sea Wolf: Sea Wolf were a band I almost got to see back when they weren't even a well-known band among "indie" audiences, so I feel a special connection to their music whenever I hear it! At their core, Sea Wolf are a folk-rock group, but they have tied in quite a bit of "outside" influences in their songs, like the Elliott Smith/Jeff Buckley type sound they had for "You're A Wolf", as well as the much brighter, more orchestral, Arcade Fire type sound they had for "Wicked Blood". For SW's third major song, "Old Friend", they dress up their folk-rock guitar sound with shimmering electric guitars in the background, and a "soft electronic" sound in the drums, a la Imogen Heap or Beach House. "Old Friend" almost feels like a "You're A Wolf" rewrite in some ways, with its stark instrumentation, bittersweet vocals, and even its E minor key, but in other ways, it stands out. For instance, there is no violin or cello sound on "Old Friend" (though that sound was present on both "You're A Wolf" and "Wicked Blood"). Instead, Sea Wolf opt for an echoic but relaxing electric guitar distortion for "Old Friend". Overall, though, "Old Friend" is an impressive song, like most of Sea Wolf's material tends to be.


"Splitter" by Calexico: Calexico could be described as a band that (kind of) sound like their name. "Calexico" is a portmanteau of "California" and "Mexico", and a lot of Calexico's songs tend to sound like a cross between Americana (roots-y country-rock type material), and mariachi band music. Their latest song, "Splitter", is no exception. It has a more upbeat, somewhat surf music type vibe than most of their songs do, but still, the acoustic guitars and muted trumpets that tend to define Calexico's songs are present on "Splitter". It's one of those songs that would fit equally well with traveling down a freeway or traveling to the beach!


"That's What's Up" by Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros: In "That's What's Up", Alex, Jade, and the rest of The Magnetic Zeros do what they do best, combine the easygoing, sing-song vibes of children's music with those similar vibes of psychedelic pop music. Even the opening lyrics of "You be the church, I'll be the steeple, You be the king, I'll be the people", sound vaguely like the sort of lyrics that a children's performer like Raffi might come up with. The faux-cutesy lyrical pattern of "That's What's Up" continues throughout the song ("You be the words I'll be the rhyming"). Ed and The Zeros seem like they already made "Home" their signature song upon their debut, but if "That's What's Up" becomes more popular than it is, it could be the next "1234" (the song by Feist that goes "1, 2, 3, 4, tell me that you love me more...")!! Nothing wrong with that, after all, Paul McCartney also toyed with the idea of children's music in "All Together Now" ("1, 2, 3, 4, can I have a little more? 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, I love you", etc.)

New songs for May 23rd, 2012

here they are:


"Everybody's Talkin'" by The Tedeschi-Trucks Band: Didn't think Miss Tedeschi was gonna cover Harry Nilsson, but apparently she has now!! This being The Tedeschi-Trucks Band, though, it doesn't have the winsome, folk-y sound of the Nilsson version, but rather, a raw, blues-y, earthy one that suggests a cross between Creedence Clearwater Revival and Wilson Pickett. Personally, I'm a sucker for the bittersweet vibe of the Nilsson version, but Tedeschi and Trucks do it justice nonetheless. For their first attempt (that I know of) for a cover song, The TTB deliver a performance that gives a shiny new direction for a beloved old favorite!


"Heartbeat" by Jjamz: Ummmm...how do you PRONOUNCE the name of this band?! The first two letters are two "J"s, of which there is no such word in the English language. A website I went on said the pronunciation was "Juh-JAMZ", as though the pronunciation requires intentional "stuttering" on the first letter. Now that I've gotten that out of the way, on with the song! According to the comments I've read about this song so far, it is apparently a favorite of pop sensation Katy Perry. Though I could ordinarily care less about what Katy Perry thinks, I can see why she likes this song. It has that sort of new-wave-y 1980's groove she likes to put in her songs from time to time. From the detached vibe of "Heartbeats", though, as well as the electric guitar solo in the middle of the song, I would say the song is more alt-pop than just plain old pop, which typically earns a song extra bonus points for me. The name of this band fits it well considering how danceable this song is.


"I'm Writing A Novel" by Father John Misty: No, despite how a moniker like "Father John Misty" might sound, you're not hearing a song from some old blues or country musician who suddenly decided to make a comeback. As a matter of fact, Father John Misty is actually the alias of Fleet Foxes' ex-drummer Josh Tillman. "I'm Writing A Novel" is one of the more interesting songs for this week, as far as I'm concerned. The lyrics seem rather stream-of-consciousness ("I'm not no doctor, but that monkey might be right", and "That Canadian shaman gave a little too much to me" provide a couple examples of how random the lyrics get for this song!), and the way Father John combines acoustic guitar with a catchy beat and organ sound that wouldn't sound too out of place in a Monkees song results in quite a memorable sound for this song! Fleet Foxes were known for having a sound that paid homage to the more somber sounding folk-rock bands of the '60s and early '70s, so it only makes sense that their drummer would do a song with a similar sound. As much as I love Fleet Foxes, though, I have to admit that "I'm Writing A Novel" is a far catchier song than anything Father John did with the band!


"Rosalee" by The Chris Robinson Brotherhood: In yet another example of a rock 'n' roll time warp, the lead singer of The Black Crowes sets the dials back to the mid-1970's, with a jam band anthem that heavily recalls "Franklin's Tower" by The Grateful Dead. Even the lyrics to the song (i.e. "Is the air getting thinner, are we getting high?") would seem rather fitting for a Grateful Dead song and/or concert. Like the typical Dead song, "Rosalee" is a mellow song with complex guitar work. Even as I pictured a "music video" to this song in my head, it was of Chris Robinson and his band performing in front of a crowd at Woodstock! Woodstock was a one-time-only event, though. Perhaps Coachella isn't too far off in The Chris Robinson Brotherhood's future, though. If blues-rocker Gary Clark, Jr. got to perform there earlier this year, I don't see why Chris Robinson couldn't be next in line!


"Some Nights" by fun.: Fans of fun. who are also followers of my blog might have noticed that I skipped out on their biggest hit so far, "We Are Young", when it came out. To me, "We Are Young" had too much pop and not enough alt! It sounded like the sort of song that might be featured in a cheesy '80s teen flick. Thankfully, fun.'s latest song, "Some Nights" has sought to correct this! One of fun.'s biggest influences is Queen, and the influence of Queen is illustrated quite well in "Some Nights". The opening vocal section sounds a little like the opening vocal sections of "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "Fat Bottomed Girls", among others, and the contrast between "Some Nights"' overall pop music sound and its crunchy hard-rock electric guitars also seem like typical Queen. "Some Nights" comes off like Queen trying to cover Simon and Garfunkel's "Cecilia" (especially during the chorus). The marching band drums of "Some Nights" also manage to make this song fun (just like the name of the band!)


"The Boxer" by Mumford and Sons (featuring Paul Simon and Jerry Douglas): Was waiting for quite awhile for Mumford and Sons to come out with a newbie, and I finally got my wish! Well, MORE than that, actually!! I also got the Celtic influenced folk-rock sensations covering a Simon and Garfunkel song, WITH Paul Simon backing them up! I always thought Mumford and Sons were a little like a modern-day Simon and Garfunkel, and I guess from this version of the folk-rock classic, my comparison wasn't too far off. This version has a bit more orchestration behind it than the original, and its played at one fret above that version, but other than that, it stays quite faithful to S & G's version. I'm quite impressed. Never thought a cover song would be my fave new release of any week, but for the first time, this appears to be so, and I couldn't be happier!!

New songs for Apr. 27th, 2011

Here they are:

"Pumped Up Kicks" by Foster the People: I've always been somewhat entertained by the idea of "lyrical dissonance" in music, and "Pumped Up Kicks" is one such example of a newer song that uses this technique. The lyrics are very grim, as they are (probably) about someone going on a shooting spree, yet the music suggests something upbeat and danceable (though still with minor chords), slightly similar to Peter, Bjorn, and John's song "Young Folks". The title is also a bit deceiving, as "Pumped Up Kicks" sounds like it should be about dancing (or perhaps one of many strange metaphors for sexual intercourse), but it isn't. Clearly, Foster the People are a clever band if they can manage to come up with material like this!

"Roll Away Your Stone" by Mumford and Sons: It appears as though London's favorite Irish-sounding indie-folk-rock quartet are back a THIRD time around on the adult alt charts!! I adore the intro of this song, with its rhythm matching that of a typical "Irish jig" (and, also, the rhythm of the "Spongebob Squarepants" theme song), but once the vocals kick in and the rhythm speeds up, I can't help but think that American audiences probably WANTED this to be the third major Mumford and Sons song, as it really just sounds like a combination of the rhythm of "Little Lion Man" and the chords of "The Cave". M & S are really a much more diverse band than that, with the lively, muted-trumpet-dominated sound of "Winter Winds", the melancholy, regretful "White Blank Page", and even a sound that evokes Springsteen's "Nebraska" in "After the Storm". That being said, though, "Roll Away Your Stone" is certainly not a bad song, it just makes me a little afraid that if it gets popular enough that some American audiences will begin complaining that Mumford and Sons' songs all "sound the same", which, if you listen to the examples of the (currently) lesser known M & S songs I listed, you will find that such is not the case!

"The Last Crusade" by Sam Roberts: Canadian rocker Sam Roberts is a very eclectic one from what I've heard in his material so far, which includes the upbeat roots-y indie pop/rock of "Them Kids", and piano-rocker "Detroit '67". So how does his latest song, "The Last Crusade", fare in comparison?! Well, I think it's even better than those songs are, personally!! It seems to come off as a grittier, edgier version of some of the more "jam band"-oriented songs from The Dave Matthews Band (think "What Would You Say?", "Too Much", etc.) It fuses jazz, blues, and rock effortlessly like the typical DMB song, yet the "alternative" vibe that Sam Roberts tends to give off in this song is purely his own! We need more musically diverse songs/bands/artists like this in today's musical climate, I think!

5 newbies and 2 oldies-come-lately

Well, here goes:

"40 Day Dream" by Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros: One of the two "oldies-come-lately", as listed in the title of this week's review. This song seems to have been circulating on adult alt. stations since the summer of this year, but has only seen a big increase within the last week. Ed and The Zeros' song "Home" has been around since February of this year (a week before I made this blog!), and seems to have become a fave among both adult alt and "regular" alt audiences (surprisingly), probably for its nostalgic, Mamas-and-Papas-ish vibe and lush, melodic, harmonizing vocals. Their second big hit, "40 Day Dream", retains the nostalgic vibe of "Home", but uses more keyboards (the old-timey kind, not electronic), and has a slower rhythm. It seems a bit incongruous that the chorus of this song seems to lift from the exact same chords of the chorus of Journey's "Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'", as Journey seem to be built on being "crowd pleasers", where Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros seem more about recreating the quirky but catchy folk-rock sound of The Mamas and The Papas and The Lovin' Spoonful. Comparisons aside, though, "40 Day Dream" is still nostalgic and catchy enough to win my heart over!


"I Want the World to Stop" by Belle and Sebastian: When hearing the term "critic's darlings", Belle and Sebastian are typically the FIRST band that come to mind! The fact alone that they were named after a British children's TV show should be a hint as to what Belle and Sebastian's music typically sounds like to those who are unfamiliar with them - very warm-and-fuzzy, childlike, nostalgic, etc. B & S also manage to put a little "zing" into their music sometimes, by making their music energetic, as opposed to just wistful, as they had done with their 2006 song, the somewhat Todd Rundgren-esque "Funny Little Frog". "I Want the World to Stop" continues in "Frog"'s footsteps, only the energy level is sped up a bit, and it has more of a mid-'70s disco feel than early '70s Todd Rundgren. The trademark muted trumpet solos that nearly every B & S song seem to have continues in "I Want the World to Stop", though, so that helps it to retain the typical B & S spirit that it might have lacked if not for that.


"Only the Young" by Brandon Flowers: If the synthesized intro in the otherwise guitar-oriented "Read My Mind" from Flowers' band The Killers were extended, it would probably sound like "Only the Young". If Flowers' previous solo effort, "Crossfire", was his attempt at a Springsteen/U2 song, then "Only the Young" seems more like an attempt to emulate Sting's mid-to-late '80s solo works. I know what some of you might be thinking, but this isn't necessarily a BAD thing! It does yield more disappointing results than "Crossfire" did (which I initially gave a somewhat harsh review to, but it grew on me the more it played). "Only the Young" at least makes an effort to TRY to sound good, though, and maybe it will grow on me eventually, too.


"Save My Love" by Bruce Springsteen: Hmmmm...this sounds like a VINTAGE Springsteen tune. That's because it IS!! It's an outtake from The Boss's 1978 masterpiece, "Darkness On the Edge of Town". It sounds like it belongs on there, too, for it's not the Van Morrison-esque jazz-rock of Bruce's first two albums, and nor is it the Phil Spector-meets-Bob Dylan epic rock of "Born to Run" (the album AND the song), but rather the tinkly but still rollicking piano-rock that is purely The Boss's own! This is a great track! My only question is, why did Springsteen stop releasing songs of this quality once "Born In the U.S.A." came around?!?


"Telephone" by Black Angels: As The Black Keys, Carney, and (to a certain extent) of Montreal's latest tunes have proven, 2010 has proven to be a year of renewed interest in '60s garage rock!! Even the name of the band, "Black Angels", was taken from a Velvet Underground tune, the violent violin-rocker "Black Angel's Death Song". The irresistibly cheesy organs of this song, and even the little-over-2-minute length of it make it seem like it could have been used by the same guys who did the "BBC" song in the credits of one of the "Austin Powers" movies! Its simplistic, repetitive rhythm, chord structure, and frustrated-by-love lyrics all convey the same vibe "Louie Louie" and "96 Tears" did many years ago! A must for fans of '60s rock!!


"Terrible Things" by April Smith and The Great Picture Show: Beginning with Lily Allen and Kate Nash, and continuing to this day in bands like Florence and The Machine, there seems to have been a trend in the late '00s/early 2010's for eclectic but sassy female alt-rock/indie musicians. The latest to jump on the bandwagon are the super-eclectic, ultra-catchy, melodic soul-inflected indie-pop of April Smith and The Great Picture Show. The eclectic qualities of this song are definitely worth discussing, as "Terrible Things" combines, reggae (in the beginning), jazz, soul, and even some subtle elements of punk into one big auditory party!! April Smith's Gwen Stefani-esque vocals tend to add to the sexiness and slinkiness that "Terrible Things" already has going for it! Within the sudden slew of songs that have come out in October 2010, this one might just be my fave so far!


"The Cave" by Mumford and Sons: Just like the first song reviewed this song, this last one is also an "oldie-come-lately". It's been receiving airplay on adult alt. stations since summer of this year, yet it's only been within the past 2 or so weeks that stations besides Sirius XM's Spectrum have started adding it in regular rotation. Even among bands already classified as "indie", Mumford and Sons have a special quality to each of their songs, which typically feature an old Celtic folk sound, a dobro (think a cross between a mandolin and a banjo), and almost Crosby-Stills-and-Nash-ish vocal harmonies. I've known about these guys since Sirius XM first featured "White Blank Page" back in January of this year, and since their now smash hit, "Little Lion Man", had made an epic journey across many adult alt and "regular" alt stations. The Celtic folk/dobro/harmony factor is present in pretty much every Mumford and Sons song, yet what sets apart "The Cave" from the rest of their material is the muted trumpet solo at the end of the song! It's my favorite part of the whole thing!! Though each of their songs seems to take on a similar rhythmic pattern, the chord structures are not usually the same, so "The Cave" is also memorable for that factor as well. If you haven't heard these guys, PLEASE do!! I initially thought they were an Irish group (only to find out from various sources that they're actually from England), but their influences almost CERTAINLY seem to be rooted in Irish folk - another reason I like them SO much - I'm Irish, too, in my heritage.